Say The Truth
by edxwin-elric
Summary: Soma One Shot/Drabble – bed-sharing - fluff/hurt-comfort/angst? After defeating Asura, Maka and Soul still suffer from nightmares that keep the trauma fresh.


Rating: T

Pairing: Soma/Soul x Maka

Disclaimer: I don't own _Soul Eater_.

Word Count: 984

Title: Say The Truth

Description: Soma One Shot/Drabble – bed-sharing - fluff/hurt-comfort/angst?

After defeating Asura and the Witches, Maka and Soul still suffer from nightmares keeping the trauma fresh.

A/N: Requested prompt from tumblr: "Full of scars, but finally happy." I hope this satisfies that.

* * *

_**Maka**_

I can't breathe.

Oh, God. I can't…breathe.

I try to inhale only for searing pain to rip through my lungs. My ribs are crushed. Everything hurts too much to move. My eyes are watering, and I cough and gasp, panic rising in my chest.

I'm going to die.

"Maka!"

Soul?

"Maka!"

A hand touches my shoulder, shaking me, and I scream, anticipating agony.

"Maka! Wake up!" Soul yells. "Wake up, dammit!"

I jerk, my eyes flying open as I sit up in bed to find Soul hovering over me, his eyes wide with concern.

"S-Soul?" I whisper.

"Yeah," he mutters, his forehead dropping to mine. "Shit, Maka…"

"It was…a nightmare?" I ask, reaching a trembling hand up to my side, feeling my ribs, checking that they're all right.

"Uh-huh. Just another fucking nightmare."

I shut my eyes and wince, my chest still aching from the memory. It's a rare night in our apartment when one of us doesn't wake up from a nightmare. It's been that way since we defeated Asura and the Witches.

"Soul?" I hiss again, my face crumpling as tears begin falling uncontrollably.

He leans back a little, his hands sliding up my neck, his thumbs stroking my cheeks, wiping them dry.

"I'm here, Maka," he murmurs. "It's okay."

"Did I wake you?" I whimper.

"It doesn't matter," he non-answers. "I'm staying in here tonight."

He doesn't give me any room to argue, which is fine because I wouldn't anyway. He's in the middle of climbing under the covers next to me when I realize he's shirtless.

"Soul," I whisper, my eyes locking on the long scar cutting across his chest.

He freezes and looks up at me. "What?"

I shake my head and curl onto my side facing away from him. "It's nothing."

It's quiet for a minute. I can feel him behind me as I try to catch my breath, the dream still fresh.

"My scar again?" he says suddenly, shattering the silence.

I don't answer. I don't know what to say.

"You have scars, too, Maka."

I suck in air through my teeth, fighting the will to roll over.

"They're not as big and glaring," he goes on, "but they're hard to miss just the same."

"What are you talking about?" I give in, flipping over in the bed. "I don't–"

"Right here," he interrupts, reaching out to stroke a place on my stomach over my top. "And here. And here." He touches two other places, and I squeeze my eyes shut. "I know they're there."

"Barely."

"And your eyes," he continues. "They hide scars."

"Soul, I…"

"The nightmares are scars," he says softly. "Only they're still happening. Fresh every night."

"I'm afraid to go back to sleep," I confess, my voice wavering slightly.

"Because if you got to sleep, you'll dream."

"It can't be like this forever," I hiss. "It can't."

"It won't. Scars fade, Maka," he murmurs. "You know that. The nightmares will too."

"But they'll never be gone. Not completely."

"Maybe not," he concedes, reaching out to push hair behind my ear. "But eventually you stop noticing them."

I inch closer to him until I can make out his eyes in the dark. Our noses are practically touching.

"What do we do until then?" I breathe.

"We keep going." His hand moves under the covers, coming up to rest on my ribs. I flinch, but relax when it doesn't hurt. His thumb moves in small, soothing circles.

"And?"

"And find something to distract us."

His kiss surprises me. Maybe it shouldn't but it does. It doesn't last long, and when it's over, I just blink at him.

"Go to sleep, Maka," he murmurs, but I can hear that damn smile in his voice. "I'll be here when you wake up."

My lips are tingling, and I want to reach up to touch them, but I don't. I start to roll over, but change my mind, pressing my forehead to Soul's.

"Okay," I say softly, sliding my hand up over his stomach to rest on his side. "Goodnight."

I close my eyes and wait in the dark for him to move. I bite my lip when his arm curves tighter around me, pulling me closer.

"Soul?" I whisper.

He grunts, and I smile to myself as I snuggle against him. Even when he's not in weapon form, Soul is always trying to protect me.

"Soul," I repeat. "Are you happy?"

"What?" he mumbles as he squints at me through one eye. "Right now, I'm sleepy."

"I know, but…tell me the truth. Are you?"

His yawn cuts me off. "Yeah," he says around it. "I'm happy, Maka."

"Scars and all?"

He pauses and tilts his head back. "Yeah. I mean…bad stuff happens, but I've still got my friends and my teachers. And, even when everything falls to shit, I know it'll be okay because I've got you. If I learned anything at the academy it's that I can face anything with you by my side."

"Soul…"

"A scar just means you've taken a beating at some point. It doesn't mean you're beaten," he adds softly. "Now, for real," he grumbles louder, tugging me against him, "go to sleep, Maka."

Held tight in his arms, I finally feel the last of the tension drain out of me. Sliding one arm under his head, I curl the other around his waist and sigh.

He's right. Our scars are nothing to be ashamed of. We earned them, and now we're stronger.

"You make me happy, too," I whisper against his neck. "Goodnight, Soul."


End file.
